


A Tale of a Closeted Romantic

by elirwen



Series: Summer Pornathon 2011 - main challenges [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2013-07-08
Packaged: 2017-12-18 04:11:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elirwen/pseuds/elirwen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin sits on the couch and looks at the two candles in the middle of the dinner table. He smiles to himself. Arthur is a proper romantic, no matter how much he denies it sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tale of a Closeted Romantic

**Author's Note:**

> Written for summer pornathon 2011. Edited.

“Did I forget some anniversary?” Merlin asks when Arthur, waiting for him after work, gives him a bouquet of Merlin's favourite yellow roses. 

“Nope.”

“Than what is this?”

“A start of a nice evening, I hope,” Arthur says and kisses him.

* * *

“Just give me a minute,” Arthur says and goes to their kitchen.

Merlin sits on the couch and looks at the two candles in the middle of the dinner table. He smiles to himself. Arthur is a proper romantic, no matter how much he denies it sometimes.

Arthur emerges with a bottle of wine, puts it on the table and lights the candles.

He offers a hand to Merlin, pulls him to his feet and leads him to the table, pulling out a chair for him. After Merlin is seated, Arthur pours them both a glass of red wine and dashes back to the kitchen. Coming back with two plates, he sets them on the table carefully, Merlin's first.

It’s salmon with some creamy sauce, baked potatoes and salad. 

“You made that?” 

Arthur nods.

“I left work early.”

Merlin reaches across the table.

“Thank you,” he says, squeezing Arthur’s hand gently.

“You shouldn't be thanking me yet. It could still be awful.”

“I know it's going to be perfect,” Merlin says, smiling at him.

* * *

After the main course, Arthur brings them a dessert – tiramisu. They eat it from a single plate, fork-fighting for their bites and laughing. 

Arthur gets some cream on his finger during the battle for the last piece. Before he can wipe it into a napkin, Merlin grasps his hand and pulls it to his lips, licking his finger clean, making Arthur’s heart beat faster.

* * *

Arthur takes Merlin by the hand and leads him to the terrace, urging him to lie on a deckchair and sitting next to him.

“I have something for you,” he says and hands him a small box wrapped in a gift paper with a ribbon around it.

“Aren't you worried you'll spoil me?”

“Too late for that,” Arthur says with a grin.

Merlin shoves him in the side playfully.

“Come on, open it.”

Merlin unwraps the package.

“A handheld fan?”

“I just saw it and remembered how you always complain about the heat in the summer,” Arthur says. “Try it.”

Merlin turns it on. Letters start to [appear on the spinning disk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD2dBj4-Ajc&feature=related).

“Wow,” Merlin says when there is 'HI MERLIN'.

He watches the sign turn to 'I LOVE YOU', then hearts and, finally, 'WILL YOU MARRY ME?'

Merlin gasps at the last sentence and looks at Arthur who is no longer sitting next to him but kneeling on the floor with a single red rose in his hands.

“Arthur?” Merlin whispers.

“Will you?” Arthur asks, worrying his lip and holding the rose for Merlin to take.

“Yes,” Merlin breathes out and accepts the flower. “I love you.”

Arthur sits next to him again.

“It would be better to put this aside,” he says and turns off the fan before going for a kiss.

* * *

“I want you so much. Right here, right now.”

Arthur reached under the chair and pulled out a bottle of lube.

“No objections here,” he says.

“You're brilliant,” Merlin says, unbuttoning Arthur's shirt.

Arthur is working their belts and zips open, pulling their trousers down the moment Merlin is finished with his shirt. Merlin stands up and shrugs off his pullover.

Both naked, the evening air is washing over them. 

Merlin pushes Arthur down to lie on the deckchair, climbs on top of him and places the bottle in his hand. Soon, he’s rocking on Arthur's fingers, begging him for more, and Arthur happily obliges. 

They make love under the starry night sky, only sounds a quiet hum of civilisation in the background, a whisper of leaves moving in a breeze and their moans and declarations of love.

* * *

They lie tangled together, Merlin drawing patterns on Arthur's palm while Arthur cards his fingers through Merlin's hair. Merlin shivers as a gust of wind hits his sweat-damp skin.

“We should go inside,” Arthur murmurs, but Merlin shakes his head and presses himself to Arthur even more.

Arthur sighs, reaches behind himself and pulls out a blanket. He spreads it over them with a little help from Merlin. 

They fall asleep like that, sated and happy in their own cocoon of warmth.


End file.
